


The Beneficial Effects of Hot Sauce (and Other Reasons the Force can be a Little Shit)

by marinatedSatan



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, Canon is a Sandbox and I'm Anakin Skywalker, Canon-Typical Violence, Cody likes hot sauce, Cody on Tatooine, Gen, Hot sauce, How Do I Tag, How does Star Wars time work, Let them be Soft, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies (probably), Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine, Owen lars is kind of a bitch but its backed with valid concerns so idk, Post-Order 66 (Star Wars), Slow Burn, That's Not How The Force Works (Star Wars), They're gay your honor, mentions of other characters (clones and otherwise), obi-wan Kenobi can cook, send help, the mandolorian spicy gene, they get their hugs okay, they have batch they're fine, they have ptsd please let them rest, use of Mando’a (language)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29567247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marinatedSatan/pseuds/marinatedSatan
Summary: what it says on the tin.Obi-wan finds Cody on Tatooine (or is it the other way around?) and the events that conspire are sure to be remembered.aka, the post-order 66 fix-it fix that slapped me across the face until I wrote it down.it's a WIP, but I have a good amount written down and should be able to keep up with an every-two-weeks posting schedule.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 15
Kudos: 60





	1. blunt force trauma to the head and a touching reunion

**Author's Note:**

> obi-wan hoards bacta because he's too stubborn to visit the medbay of his own volition.  
> this first chapter has some kind of mild violence (head trauma and descriptions of wounds) and the patching up that ensues, so you can kind of skim through most of Cody's POV and be fine, but obi-wan's POV does talk about it. 
> 
> also, this is my first time posting any writing anywhere, so you've been warned.

-Cody-

It had been a year or so, if Cody remembered correctly, after the order. A year or so blindly following whatever they told him with mechanical precision, the gold seared from his armor and the memories locked forcefully into the back of his mind. 

It was to be a simple mission, a short-term stationing on Tatooine while he and some others waited to be transferred to a more problematic area. The search for a troublesome citizen had brought him and another trooper out farther than they had expected, and apparently the Tusken Raiders did not like men covered in shiny white plastoid (their armor hadn't changed too terribly much, but the dwindling number of  _ vode _ made the overall style more adapting to the variations in natborn physique and physiology, although they were all trained the same) anywhere near wherever they had ended up, and the last thing Cody saw was the blunt end of a rifle. 

The next thing he saw, to his disbelief, was a familiar brown robe, and he felt weirdly calm, although he was sure there were a myriad of injuries across his body. Cody felt himself being picked up and carried off; and for a time he had no measure of, he continued to dance around full consciousness, his sleep stuffed with haunting images of bloody armor and burnt wounds, and peppered with short waking moments containing blue eyes and graying auburn hair. Despite most of his instincts, he felt safe. 

-Obi-wan- 

Obi-wan was lonely in the desert, sure, but he was doing fine with his bi-monthly trips to town and occasional run-ins with the Jawas, Tuskens, and faintly passive aggressive conversations with one Owen Lars, who did not like his help protecting a certain small someone, no matter how much he insisted he wasn't doing any harm. So, when he came across two (well, one, one was dead already) troopers fighting some rightfully pissed raiders, he didn't quite register why the one still standing was so familiar, or why he started running at the painfully well-known crack of plastoid helmet, and quickly grabbed the sand-covered stranger and began to carry him back towards his hut. The raiders, not interested in the humming saber in his hand, which he had not realized he had drawn until he deactivated it to pick the trooper up, decided that one shiny plastic man was good enough for them, and left him to his business. 

Once Obi-wan got back to his hut, the source of familiarity became known when the removed helmet uncovered a face that he never thought he would see again; and he laughed out loud at the sight of his former commander. Cody was bleeding only slightly from where the shattered bucket was sandwiched between the butt of the rifle and his head. Obi-wan set the broken helmet aside, now devoid of the old 212th gold that had been so carefully painted on many years ago. He propped Cody up on his cot, and cautiously cleaned the most pressing cuts, then removed the remaining armor. The torso and chest plates proved most difficult, as Obi-wan would hardly ever use the force on anyone without asking first, on top of Cody being slightly larger and possessing at least one broken rib. He was able to get it off though, and laid him down, then stuck some bacta patches on and went to put on the water for tea. 

  
  



	2. this time, they're both awake for the reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cody wakes up, and obi-wan does some cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the only reason cody is this okay two days after a serious head injury is because obi-wan panicked and slapped an incredulous amount of bacta on him.  
> there's not much to warn about in this chapter, but there's some descriptions of injuries towards the beginning.

-Cody-

Cody woke up feeling like shit. The dull ache in his chest told him broken ribs, already bacta'd. A couple tentative moves later and he had a list: two ribs, about half healed thanks to the bacta, a dozen or so cuts all over, including one above his eye, and quite a few bruises scattered on his arms, chest, and what felt like a half-healed black eye. Sand people, his memory supplied. Brown robes, it suggested, and he saw his armor piled by the small cot he was laying on. Why was he not panicking? Where was he? What was in his head, and why had it stopped working? How was he still alive? He vaguely remembered something told to him, a hurried message about a chip and and a much later one about an order. He made quick mental notes about his surroundings. Cot, exits, armor, chair, table, General Kenobi, window, wait, General Ke-  
"I see you're up! Just in time for tea, too."  
Cody flew to his feet in one fluid motion, hands going up and curling into fists, before he felt the pain of his still-sore ribs, and fully processed the bearded man in front of him.  
"General?" he said, shocked, before he sat (fell) back down onto the cot, grimacing as his ribs screamed at him for doing such movements without thinking.  
"Oh, not anymore I'm afraid." The Jedi crossed the room to hold out a steaming mug of tea, and Cody moved back a little.

"That Tusken hit you pretty hard, and I think it somehow dislodged or deactivated that chip. You were out cold for almost two days, and you haven't tried to kill me yet, so I think we're okay." Kenobi stepped back and put the tea on a nearby table, and sat down in a chair a few feet away. He sipped his own mug, watching Cody as he moved gingerly to pick up the tea, wincing slightly as the motions irritated his mid-healing ribs. Why did everything hurt? Had he been making extra tea every time, just to be prepared for the instance Cody was up in time for it? Cody guessed force osiik, not ready to process those feelings and meanings, and took a sip. The tea was good, and warmed his chest, to which his ribs said 'thanks, but we still won't heal for another while longer' and flipped him the bird.  
"How can you be sure? Maybe it's just temporarily malfunctioning, and I won't try and kill you next time your back is turned?" He took another sip of tea, wary of his sore ribs and the thing in his head.  
"I can tell. You've been thinking quite loudly while you've been out, and what I could feel from you wasn't like what I felt from you when it first happened." his old General settled back into his chair, hands curled around his mug. "You were at least semi-conscious a couple times, and I got you to drink water, but the closest you came to killing me was hitting me hard enough to bruise, mumbling something about Rex owing you credits for punching a droid, and then not moving for a concerning amount of time." The subject of conversation was not unexpected, and lightened slightly by the memory of that particular droid kill of the week, but touchy nonetheless. Cody sighed, still tense, but still holding his tea. He suddenly felt very tired. The light had gotten darker over their conversation, and by the time they had finished their tea, the suns had gone mostly down and a few small lamps turned on.  
"General, I-" Cody started, only to be cut off as the other man moved around the room, gathering a few other old mugs.  
"No need for formalities, I am no longer a general." he stopped near Cody, holding out his hand for his now empty mug. "Obi-wan will do."  
"- Obi-wan. I want to be sure. That it doesn't work anymore. Or get it out. I don't want to hurt you, or anyone else." He made to stand up, much to the chagrin of his ribs, who were only slightly less sore than earlier thanks to the bacta. Gen- Obi-wan held up a hand to stop him, gently taking the mug and turning away, starting towards what Cody assumed was the kitchen.  
"I'll be right back. I agree, though. We can make sure." He vanished into the other room, and Cody heard some clinking dishes and soon smelled something that wasn't half bad, wafting from what Cody now had on good authority was the kitchen.

-Obi-wan-  
Swiftly moving through the small kitchen, Obi-wan ran through the possible options they had. He wasn't a doctor himself, and knew that Cody only knew basic battlefield-level first aid, but there was a chance of an old medic droid on a Jawa transport, and there were a couple practices in the towns. Cody would surely be recognized, and there was cost to consider too, not to mention the dangers of any operations. His thoughts shifted from those complications, though, as he diced a couple of the vegetables he had and threw them in the steaming pot on the stove.  
Why was Cody here? How had he gotten here? He was aware of the empire's presence on Tatooine, however he didn't think it would concern him as long as he laid low and kept his visits to any town short. He added some seasoning to the pot. He stilled, and reached out. /Why?/ he asked, searching for whatever answers he could get right now. The Force only directed him to his soup. /ready/, they said, and he sighed.  
"Thank you." He mumbled as he turned off the cooktop and grabbed two bowls and spoons. He would have to wait for tomorrow morning's meditation for answers, it seemed. He dished out soup into the bowls, then filled two cups with water and floated them behind him as he reentered the room with Cody in it. He floated the waters to the small table, earning an almost unnoticeable chuckle from the wounded man on the cot, undoubtedly thinking something containing the words 'inappropriate use of the Force', and set a bowl in front of Cody. He eyed him suspiciously.

-Cody -  
"It's not poisoned, is it?" said Cody as he narrowed his eyes slightly.  
"Of course not. It is, however, a little spicy, so I should warn you." said Obi-wan, and watched as Cody carefully picked up the soup and took a bite. Then, Cody put the bowl down and put his head in his hands. Obi Wan jumped up and made a move to help Cody, should he need it. "Are you okay? Is it that bad? I-" He stopped when he realized the shaking shoulders were laughing.  
"It- hm- its- oh, ow- its-" Cody laughed as hard as his ribs would let him, which wasn't very hard, but he managed to convey his meaning. "It's- Obi-wan, it's hardly spicy at all. I forgot about your low tolerance for anything hot, so I expected what mild was to me, but I can barely taste any spice. I-" he cut himself off, his laughing turning into some painful coughing, which thankfully subsided quickly. He looked up to see Obi-wan standing in the middle of the distance between his chair and Cody's cot, very confused and looking into the distance, as if to remember something. Realization dawned on his face as he started laughing as well.  
"Oh, I forgot as well!" His old General chuckled. "Remember that time we got our hands on that spicy dish that you and your brothers devoured, and I could barely eat two bites? I don't know how I forgot, I got teased mercilessly by An- by the 501st for the longest time." Obi-wan finished talking and sat back down in his chair, returning to his soup.  
"Yeah, I do." grinned Cody, the memory of his General's red face surfacing from some long neglected spaces of his brain.  
"Oh- I have more seasoning, do you want it? For some reason I keep acquiring hot sauce, even though I hardly use it and no one else seems to want it." He put his bowl back down and stood up. He darted into the kitchen before Cody could answer. "Here, I didn't know which one you would want, so I brought all of them." Obi-wan said as he reappeared with an armful of small bottles. "I keep finding them. There was a lot in a speeder I had purchased when I first got here, and I think the Jawas keep slipping them into my bag whenever I ride with them. They don't necessarily like or dislike me, per se, I just think they don't want them and have decided to inflict them upon me." Obi-wan dumps the bottles on the table. Cody stares. Obi-wan's eyes are full of confusion and pain. Why do they do this to him. He has a low tolerance for anything spicy. Cody reaches out and takes a bottle, and looks at it. Oh yeah, he's probably concussed still, because those colors hurt.  
On the bottle is a label that says 'BLASTER FIRE HOT SAUCE' in basic, the letters bright red and framed on either side by crudely drawn blasters. Bright, cartoonish flames reach from the bottom of the label up to the bottom of the letters, slightly metallic and standing out on the dirty white spaces left on the label. The liquid inside is a concerning red color, and Cody can tell why it's called Blasterfire. He sighs internally and uncorks the bottle, dumping a couple generous pours into his soup. The sauce changes the color of the brownish soup, making it reddish brownish soup, and Cody eyes it warily. He sets the bottle down and takes a bite.  
"How is it?" asks Obi-wan, looking at Cody and the red bottle uneasily.  
"Surprisingly okay." answers Cody, pleased at the flavor. He watches as Obi-wan touches a finger to the sauce lingering on the lip of the bottle and tastes it, making a face at the sudden heat.  
"I think I shall leave the sauces to you, then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> questions? comments? wanna see that hot sauce label? come say hi to me at letspartyinhell on Tumblr!


	3. space oranges and the patching each other up trope, but only one of them is injured and they're both too stubborn to talk to each other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boys eat oranges, poke sore ribs, and obi-wan sleeps on the floor.   
> tw/cw for graphic depictions of injuries close to the beginning of Cody's POV. it's like one paragraph and it starts at "He sits as still..." and ends around "... bacta patched ribs.". there's some minor mentions of it after that, but it's really kept to "sore ribs" and checking on a concussion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> obi-wan's main method of checking on injuries is "it's healed when it doesnt hurt when I poke it" and honestly, its not a bad method.  
> also, who knows what space oranges are called?? I can't freakin remember and I keep forgetting to look it up.

Obi-wan 

The two finish their soup in relative silence, and Obi-wan returns to the kitchen to wash the bowls and put them away. He transfers the leftover soup to a container, to be used for another meal some other time. He lets the repetitive motion of cleaning the pot put him in a mild moving meditation. He asks the force again, why and how was Cody here? Was there more meant for him to do before he inevitably had to train the young boy that lived not too far away? He only got a vague sound of giggling and directions for another soup. Blast, he thinks. Morning meditation it is. 

He finishes cleaning the pot and puts it away. Maybe Cody would like dessert? It is a special occasion, and he has a couple of sweet fruits from a recent trip to town, and they should still be ripe enough to eat. He grabs one and cuts it into a few pieces. As he returns to the open living room, he notices Cody staring out the window. 

"Would you like some fruit?" he offers, outstretched hand cradling the wedges of the bright fruit, the lamps making the juice sparkle on its surface. Cody nods and holds out his hands, a silent acceptance. Obi-wan drops them into his palms, and sits down as he bites into his own wedges. Cody smiles slightly as he eats, no doubt remembering the same instance O bi wan is, when there was a miscalculation in the shipment of the very same fruits back to the Negotiator, and they had them every meal for a standard month. 

Some of the vod had insinuated a small food fight with the ones that rotted before they could be either eaten or preserved, and the halls smelled slightly rotted and sweet for the next few rotations. No one, save a few of the diplomatic passengers or more higher ranking officers (although Obi-wan himself had been hit twice, and thrown one at Cody, hitting him square in the chest) was spared. 

Some had gotten mad about wasting resources, but the argument was made that the nearest planet that would need them would take too many rotations to get to before they were completely rotten, and that a little fun to relieve stress was good once in a while. Besides, the sheer amount of fruit was taking up cargo space, and they needed that for some upcoming assignments transporting medical supplies. The fruit being grown in scores and on many planets meant that there were no possible shortages, and they got shipments of it more often from there on out. Obi-wan found no complaints about the food fight in that week's report.

cody 

When Ge- Obi-wan vanished back into the kitchen, Cody looked at more of the hot sauce bottles. Some of them were familiar, being frequently picked up by various vode when they went on leave, questing for the spiciest one and reveling in the reactions of the Jedi or natborn officers that they could get to taste their latest find. Some he didn't recognize, and some made him laugh, little cartoons of various species with red faces, watery eyes, and smoking mouths on their labels. He puts the bottle in his hands down, having finished perusing the entire collection, and stares out the window at the dark sky and cold dunes. 

Obi-wan comes back with a familiar fruit, and they eat in silence. Obi-wan puts the rinds in various plant pots, probably composting. He remembers him liking plants, the various mishaps with hostile flora across the galaxy making themselves known in his memory. 

He sits as still as he can as Obi-wan removes the smaller bacta patches, the various medium-to-large-sized cuts healed to either scarring or virtual disappearance, and the cut above his eye gone except a thin scar, partly mirroring the long and curving one on the other side of his face. His ribs keep their patches, the large bandages having the capability to push the bacta further under skin than the smaller ones. There are a few irritated areas from where the rifle shots of the tuskens did not penetrate his armor but heated it up enough to give him minor burns. He winces as his old general gently pokes at his sore, bacta patched ribs. 

"Those still hurt." he says after wincing at the pokes Obi-wan gives to his aggravated chest, his ribs wailing plaintively at the clear hostility, and Cody mentally and politely tells them to shut the fuck up. Obi-wan looks at him skeptically, and Cody remembers his mental shields are shit right now. The jetii sighs and holds up a small light. 

"Let me check on that concussion of yours- look here." he holds up a hand, and moves the other, holding the light, to check Cody's eyes. "I'll be right back." he tells Cody, and goes back to the kitchen. He returns with one of the old reusable cold packs, and hands it to Cody. 

"For the headache. I don't have any painkillers at the moment, and I don't want to go into town again until at least next week." he points to a doorway opposite the kitchen. "That way is the 'fresher, should you need it, and I'm sure you have a good idea of where the kitchen is. I'll give you a better tour once you can walk without too much trouble." 

"Thanks. I think I'll use the fresher, then sleep.” Cody stands up cautiously, trying not to move his torso. Obi-wan is there in a flash, offering his shoulder to lean on. Cody accepts, and the two move slowly to the bathroom. 

Obi-wan 

Obi Wan is glad when Cody finally falls asleep. He insists that it's no worry for him to stay up, and thankfully it's not long since Cody is very tired. The Jedi moves silently to his room, smuggling an extra blanket and another old robe, and arranging an old bedroll to sleep on. He had force-floated his cot to the main room for Cody, and he knew that had Cody known he was using his usual bed, he would vehemently refuse to use it; despite Obi-wan's lack of paperwork or battle strategy meetings to keep him from sleep, and Cody's own injuries. 

The nights that Cody had been blacked out on his cot, Obi Wan had meditated all night in the chair and focused what healing energy he could gather on the sleeping soldier in front of him. The second night he had actually fallen asleep, the Force hushing a gentle reprimand for his self neglect, and encasing him in enough warm energy to sleep. He woke to a 'you're welcome' from the Force, and the small scratches Cody had gotten from speeder bike shrapnel and jagged armor completely gone. His morning meditation had been spent trying to find another connection to that warmth, ending only in actual physical warmth because he had forgotten to go back into his cool hut during peak temperature time and getting slightly sunburnt. 

Obi-wan sighed, and slipped into a light meditation that would lead to a combination of meditation and napping that he had often done on long campaign-style missions where there was constant fighting and the only real rest was in medbay, but medbay meant injuries; and Obi-wan stayed away stubbornly until either all the other injured men were treated, or Cody physically dragged, hauled, or carried him. Cody had the same tendencies, but Obi-wan was better at stealing leftover bacta patches and bandages. 

There were many times that Obi-wan could think of, the two taking turns patching the other up over paperwork and caf. They had spent countless nights reviewing droves of datapads with reports, shipment details, mission debriefing debriefs, important senatorial or military messages, and a legion of other things that needed their attention. 

He sighed and shifted to get comfortable, partly glad about no more paperwork and partly sad that he and Cody wouldn't share another late night on board the Negotiator, downing alarming amounts of caf and enjoying peaceful time together despite the tedious lines in their datapads. 

Maybe Cody would stay with him, a part of his brain supplied. I mean, where else would he go? Obi-wan hushed that thought, and made a note to ask Cody what he wanted to do. He didn't think his former commander would necessarily object, but he didn't want him to feel like he had to. He sighed and shifted again, having forgotten the uncomfortableness of the old bedroll. 

Obi-wan's mind soon cleared and calmed soon enough, and he dozed off into a light sleep. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> notes are so confusing fucking help do they stick througought??? oh man that's a misspelled word. anyways, come say hi on Tumblr at letspartyinhell   
> you guyyysss all the kudos and shit is making me live I love y'all 
> 
> vod/vode: brother/brothers  
> jetti: jedi


	4. Cody's first trip to town, among other things.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boys go to town; but first cody has a nightmare, and both figure out that they're totally and completely screwed.  
> cw for some sensitive nightmare material in Cody's first POV- nothing too heavy, just some mentions of death and canon typical violence. you could skip it and be mostly fine, Obi-wan's goes over it without the descriptions of Cody's dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're soft! we're really getting into it, i'm super excited for the next installment already. I've learned that I really like worldbuilding, so I apologize in advance for the 500 polysyllabic words that will come for various scenes.
> 
> cody, soft, internally: ner Jetti :)  
> cody, still soft, still internally: oh im fucked

-Cody-

Cody wakes up with a cry, a cold sweat running down the back of his neck. His brothers. So many gone, replaced with natborns in droves of shiny white helmets, the cries of thousands of Jedi and innocent citizens echoing in their footsteps. He felt better physically, his ribs only giving a mild grumble at his movement instead of the previous screaming. Thank kriff for bacta, he thinks. His mind is still racing, heart beating fast, but he can feel himself beginning to calm down. He takes in his surroundings again, anchoring himself like he had taught the shinies that had panicked before dropping into a battle for the first time. His General used to help, too, his voice low and soft as he told the new soldiers to breathe and focus. 

Speaking of the General, it was that moment that he chose to rush in. 

"Cody? Cody, are you okay?" his General asked as he rushed across the room, hurrying to Cody. He stood by the cot as Cody shifted to a better sitting position. 

Cody nodded and let out a shaky breath, nerves still on edge. He did a mental check on his body, assuring himself of his injuries, and his actual state of being. Obi-wan nods solemnly. 

"Do you want to talk about it? Or anything else? There is tea on, I don't think you should be back on caf just yet." He shifts slightly, readying to fly to the kitchen. Cody shakes his head. 

"Okay. I'm gonna go grab you some breakfast, okay? I'll be right back.'' Obi-wan touches a hand to Cody's shoulder, light and reassuring, and vanishes. 

Cody remembers being close with his General, always behind him and slightly to the right. He remembers the weight on his armor as he carried him to the medbay, his Jedi having worked himself past exhaustion on top of untreated wounds from a battle two days before. He can count on his fingers the number of times the overworked jetii had fallen asleep on his shoulder, crammed in a gunship or transport. He wonders if Obi-wan remembers, and a part of him hopes that he'll be able to regain that closeness. His inner Rex teases him mercilessly for it, much like the real Rex. He wonders how his vod is doing, his chest clenching in worry. There's so many others he needs to check in on. Can he? If they're safe, it would be jeopardizing their position. Obi-wan might know. 

Ever predictable and reliable, his old C.O. shows up with perfect timing. He accepts the breakfast from Obi-wan, a portion of fruit and a bowl of hot grain. Cody gives him a questioning glance, not unfamiliar. 

"Yes, Cody, I already ate." Obi-wan sighs as the returns to his chair, the suns filling the room with light that bounces off of his hair in a glowing red gold that cody was 90% sure was his favorite color, tied only with the color fondly referred to as '212th Gold' (although it looked more orange to him), and possibly Obi-wan's blue eyes. 

Cody nods slightly, and starts eating. He does so cautiously, testing the food; and he's pleasantly surprised to find sweet spices in the hot grain that compliment nicely with the fruit. He remembers Obi-wan cooking, mainly tea, but occasional meals as continuous rotations of ration bars wore on. He'd taught some of the men how to cook as well, and soon there was a schedule, with alternating weeks and days as the clones discovered new recipes and snuck in more ingredients. 

Cody finishes his breakfast, and notices his General sitting very still. Meditation, his brain pipes up. Cody sits very still, and watches the light gleam off of the bright auburn hair that had been locked in a box in the back of his head for a painfully long year. That year, Cody had spent locked in a closet, trying to get out as CC-2224 marched and shot and fought against the ones Cody had helped free, and his mental shields were definitely in need of redoing because then his jetii was there, taking the bowl from his hands and sitting next to him. Cody looks up, and he notices the tears in his eyes, and when his Gen- when Obi-wan asks if it's okay to touch him he nods yes and all but collapses into the man he had forgotten. 

-Obi-wan-

Obi-wan wakes early, much earlier than he intended to, but it's not unwelcome. He has things to do. He sets outside to meditate, grabbing a drink of water before rolling up his bedroll. He walks the short distance to a less vertical section of the cliff his little house is set into, and jumps up the stones to the top. He sits, facing the rising suns, and meditates. 

The presence of the force comes willingly, expecting questions and clarifying the presence of Cody, down in the little hut partially carved into the cliff's face. Obi-wan starts. 

/how?/

/he was never one to be gone long from your side, and he was gone too long./

/why?/

The force answers by dancing around him, embracing him and making Cody's presence glow even brighter. 

/But I am not allowed./

he feels the force sigh. 

/What makes you think that? You can feel him. You know him. He would not say no./

Fair point, Obi-wan thinks. The Force points between him and Cody, and Obi-wan realizes the light gold threads winding from him to Cody. 

/He was gone, how’d that happen?/

The Force smiles warmly. 

/He was not gone, merely far, and grew cold, but it was still there. You are meant for each other. That cannot be broken./

Obi-wan can definitely feel the tips of his ears turn pink, the certainty and plainness of the Force's statement ringing in his ears. Meant for each other. He'd felt for so long, every late night on the Negotiator, every cup of caf and tea, every shared smile at their men and the constant steady presence just behind him and to the right. Maybe he could get Cody to be beside him, as equals. He deserves it. he deserves all the stars in the sky, Obi-wan thinks, and the Force giggles merrily. 

/See?/ 

Obi-wan blushes harder, and the Force laughs, twining the golden bond between their fingers, weaving in a red gold, delicately braiding it with the color of Cody's eyes and what Obi-wan recognizes as the old 212th gold that used to decorate Cody's armor. The Force waves goodbye, retreating to the usual gentle hum that flows around aimlessly but with purpose; bumping into things and nosing presences together, caring for all their creatures.

Obi-wan gets a few minutes of pleasant silence, listening to the desert wake up and the gentle noise of the force washing around before he gets a visitor. He cracks his eyes open to see a faint flicker of blue, and feels a familiar presence. He still feels bitter, but he can have a civil conversation. 

Or not. 

The ghost of Qui-gon Jinn stays only for a moment, shooting a knowing smile towards Obi-wan. The Jedi sighs, knowing the meanings of his former Master's message, and only kind of ignores them. He remains for a while longer, feeling the planet stir beneath him, and then goes to make breakfast. 

He makes a simple meal, mindful to double the single-portion recipe to have enough for Cody, and eats as the water warms up for tea. He sets up a bowl for Cody, and a mug for tea, because the injured man shouldn't be drinking caf until at least the next half rotation, even if he's been thoroughly bacta’d for three days. He's just finishing his tea before he feels Cody's mind lash out, growing panicked. He must be getting a nightmare, Obi-wan thinks. He knows it's not necessarily good to wake someone from one of those, so he makes sure that he has tea and breakfast ready for him because he will undoubtedly be waking soon. 

He hears Cody yell, and he's moving before he can think. Cody is obviously shaken, so Obi-wan uses the tried-and-true method of a good breakfast to get him to feel safer. He meditates slightly while Cody eats, nudging some of his own comfort towards the wary man on his cot. He gets lost in it, though, because Cody's presence is so steady and familiar, if shaky and somewhat tentative from being out of control for a year and waking up in a strange (ish) environment after two days of unconsciousness. He manages to pull himself out of it though, the Force's words from earlier still prominent in his mind, to find Cody gazing off into space, silent tears rolling down his cheeks, and anything Obi-wan was trying to tamp down took over. 

He took the empty bowl (eating is a good sign! his inner medic supplied; and he’s surprised he has one of those), and sat down next to Cody. 

"Cody? Is it okay if I touch you?" he asked, and his former commander looked at Obi-wan through his tears and nodded. Obi-wan gathered Cody in his arms, holding him close, feeling him melt into his arms and shake with silent sobs. Obi-wan could feel the sadness rolling off of Cody in waves, the soft gold he usually emitted having turned a dull grey-blue, heavy and opaque. He could feel the weight of all the lost vode, all the lives that Cody had taken while under the influence of the little chip in his head. 

Obi-wan hummed comfortingly, shifting slightly so he could tuck Cody under his chin protectively, holding him as he cried. Obi-wan let what waves of calm he could muster roll off of him, watching Cody's dull sadness clash with the softer blue of his own melancholy calm, absorbing the sadness and letting it dispel as Cody cried into his shoulder. Obi-wan gently traced patterns around the bacta patches covering Cody's skin, bouncing off the adhesive edges and mapping the distance between vertebrae and across shoulders. 

They stayed like that for a while, and the rest of Obi-wan's day was spent showing Cody his home (sans his room, at least until he could sneak another cot in), and trying to get some of his old tunics to fit Cody (until he could get some new clothes in town). They each went to bed that night thinking of the lives lost and who they hoped were still alive, the Force lazily spinning around them in a hypnotizing dance that put Obi-wan to sleep. 

-Cody-

The next rotation was spent falling into a rhythm. Obi-wan would wake with the suns, and meditate for an hour or so, and Cody would wake when the suns were a little higher and have tea ready when he came back in. Then, they'd do a perimeter check and do once overs for the moisture collectors that provided most of the water for the little hut. Later, Obi-wan would make dinner, and they'd add to the list of things they would get from town. 

At the beginning of the next rotation, Obi-wan asked Cody if he wanted to come to town with him. 

"You can wear a mask if you'd like, if you think anybody would recognize you. Also, everyone knows me as Ben because Obi-wan is very notorious for being a Jedi and an enemy of the empire." Cody only nodded. He helped load things to trade onto the small speeder, and sat behind Obi-wan as they set out to town. 

Cody very quickly realized that nobody paid attention to either him or Obi-wan, unless Obi-wan chose to interact. He watched as Obi-wan conversed in Huttese and Basic, bartering some extra vegetables and spare pieces for meat, fruits, and tea. He led Cody to a small storefront that sold clothes, and Cody picked out a couple sets of good quality shirts and pants, and a jacket that was mainly a faded orange, with worn off-white panels over the front. Cody got some boots from another storefront, the old armored shoes not quite suitable for the sandy planet that he didn't see himself leaving any time soon. 

They left town eventually, having stopped by the medical station to sneak an information pad, not wanting to risk the questions that came with "Hey, can you get this chip out of my brain?". After they spent an hour searching through it, they found nothing and returned it. They also discovered that any hope of borrowing a medical droid would also be incredibly difficult, and that the required equipment would complicate transportation and the speed at which they would get targeted by lots of angry medical professionals and stormtroopers. They left after wandering the crowded marketplace for a while longer, and they got back to Obi-wan's house in time for the first sun to start setting. 

Cody helps Obi-wan make dinner, and the two eat in silence. The final light of the suns shone through the window over the table, and combined with the lights inside, cast a soft orange glow over the entire house. Cody, convinced he was losing his goddamn mind, watched the fading sunlight light Obi-wan’s hair on fire. Unbeknownst to him, the color was woven into the golden thread between them, and Obi-wan mentally fought his body to stop himself from blushing. Cody, not force-sensitive, only noticed that his old General was thinking really hard about something, and staring off into space. 

“Cody, what if I used the Force to make sure? I could isolate it, make sure it’s really dead.” 

Cody, not entirely shocked, thought for a minute. He trusts Obi-wan. He knows that the likeliness of the chip still working isn't very big, and that Obi-wan knows what he's doing. Well, he knows enough that Cody trusts him. He's only seen his General fail a few times before, and those times had more moving parts than just him and Cody. Cody had picked up his lightsaber enough to warrant a special clip on his belt, had remembered his favorite teas, and had not been afraid to match him in anything. He knew that he would follow Obi-wan Kenobi to the end of the galaxies, even in the middle of a widespread war with losses stacking up on both sides. He answered his Jedi with the simplest answer he could think of. 

"Okay. I trust you." he says, and holds eye contact. It's the longest time he's looked someone in the eye unhelmeted in a year. He puts all the trust and determination he can into his words, and even more into his gaze. He notices Obi-wan is flustered, though he hides it well. He was able to read him through a battle, a hundred yards away, all through the visor of his helmet and the impeccable walls his Jetii surrounded himself with; across a kitchen table isn’t hard. 

Kriff, he's a goner at this point. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for all the kudos and comments, y'all!! it really makes my day, and if you want to come stay hi at letspartyinhell on Tumblr I'd probably scream in excitement.  
> have an awesome next 24 hours, everybody!!

**Author's Note:**

> vod- brother  
> vode- brothers (I think. it makes sense)
> 
> stay tuned, more on the way!


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